Public radio producer Nancy Updike writes up “National Corporate Radio,” a shrill spoof of NPR, in the LA Weekly. (Via MediaNews.)

Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) introduced the Digital Opportunity Investment Trust (DOIT) June 11. Modeled on a proposal by Larry Grossman and Newton Minow, it would invest proceeds from spectrum auctions into an educational trust fund (bill text). Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) offered a similar bill last month (bill text).

In a USA Today op-ed, Pat Mitchell challenges the 18-34 demo to turn off Fear Factor and Survivor and turn on TV that informs and inspires.

WHYY laid off ten employees last week, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer report. President Bill Marrazzo said the cuts will offset rising membership dues to NPR and PBS. (Second item.)

Public broadcasting might draw accusations of liberal bias, but a new Pew Research Center report says conservatives take in more PBS and NPR programming than liberals do, according to The Washington Times. (Second item.)

Daljit Dhaliwal of ITN has signed with CNN, where she’ll anchor World News, reports The Guardian. (That little pic of Dhaliwal comes from The Unofficial Daljit Dhaliwal Appreciation Page, which has links to other coverage of the CNN signing, as well as a “SimDaljit” you can download for the Sims computer game.)

“What’s up with WYMS?” is a site devoted to the embattled Milwaukee radio station.

Raquel Welch (born Jo-Raquel Tejada) is “strutting her ethnicity” for the first time in the PBS drama American Family.

Public broadcasting is getting more corporate, says the Washington Times.

The proliferation of kids’ media and new thinking about how children watch TV have forced Sesame Street to catch up with the times, says a New York Times piece. (Related Current article, 11/19/01.)

The FCC will hold two open meetings June 27 to hear public comment about WFUV-FM‘s plans to shorten its broadcasting tower to keep it near the New York Botanical Garden. ‘FUV and the Garden have been fighting over the tower’s location for six years, according to ‘FUV’s website. Here’s the FCC’s announcement in PDF, text and Word formats.

The Yiddish Radio Project has started a “Gems from the Yiddish Radio Archive” feature on its website, a 26-week series of classic archived broadcasts. (Current‘s write-up of the Project, 2/11/02.)

Chicago’s WTTW-TV laid off fifteen employees last week, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report. The station faces a $3.4 million shortfall in next year’s budget, the story says.

Michigan Radio and Flint’s WFUM-TV have merged to become Michigan Public Media. Donovan Reynolds, former Michigan Radio g.m., will lead the operation. Five staffers (four in radio, one in TV) have lost their jobs.

The L. A. Times profiles Eva Georgia, new g.m. of L. A. Pacifica station KPFK.